Mark Anthony Harriman, Methamphetamine Trafficking, New Mexico 2013
Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring Busted in Las Cruces
Las Cruces, New Mexico - In a major blow to the city's illicit drug trade, Mark Anthony Harriman, 45, and Agustin Abascal, 27, both residents of Las Cruces, pleaded guilty to federal methamphetamine trafficking charges in the Las Cruces federal court.
According to court documents, Harriman and Abascal were arrested in mid-April 2013 on a criminal complaint alleging that they conspired to distribute methamphetamine and did distribute methamphetamine in Doña Ana County, N.M., between November 2012 and March 2013.
Harriman entered a guilty plea to a felony information charging him with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute between February 2013 through March 2013, and unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition on March 15, 2013.
Abascal, on the other hand, pleaded guilty to a felony information charging him with distribution of methamphetamine. In his plea agreement, Abascal admitted selling methamphetamine on five occasions between November 1, 2012, and March 7, 2013, to a person whom he later learned was an undercover officer.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Harriman will be sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. He will also be required to forfeit nine firearms, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, a 2002 Mitsubishi Mirage, and $13,940 in cash.
Abascal faces a sentence of not less than ten years and not more than life in prison.
Both men have been in federal custody since their arrests and remain detained pending their sentencing hearings, which have yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA, the Las Cruces/Doña Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, and the New Mexico State Police.
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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